As the public is getting richer, people are more health conscious today. In term of beverage, green tea is treated as the healthiest drink as it is not only has the rehydrate function, but it is also flavonoid rich that can save our body against cardiovascular syndrome.
Investigation on green tea drinkers show that they are far less vulnerable to a lot of diseases, from viral infection to chronic degenerative ailment like stroke, cancer, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.
Research illustrates that green tea has really high level of flavonoids (antioxidant) including catechins and their derivatives. Antioxidant is the biological event that prevents the oxidation which will produce highly reactive free radicals. Flavonoids substance comprises of more than 30% of the green tea dry weight. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the largest abundant catechin in all green tea. It has the greatest antioxidant activity of all green tea's catechins and hence is thought to play the most important role in the green tea's anticancer and antioxidant effect. Green tea EGCG is so abundant that a cup of green tea may have 20-35mg of it.
In our arteries, there is a one cell thick lining that behaves as the interface between the bloodstream and the wall of the artery where blood plaques can form, this is known as arterial endothelium. When cardiovascular disease occurs, a type of enzyme will spur the production of free radicals in the artery endothelium, thus amplifies the level of free radicals in arteries sharply. Green tea EGCG will inhibit the enzymes required in the production of the free radicals and thus protects the endothelium from spoilt by free radical. Because of this green tea is acting an important role in preventing cardiovascular disease.
EGCG also helps in preventing the death of heart muscle cells following ischemia/reperfusion injury, by preventing the stimulation of inflammation compounds (STAT-1) that will induce oxidative damage which kills cardiovascular cell in reperfusion injury.
Besides, cancer cells need enzyme dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) to make DNA and grow. EGCG will inhibit the DHFR and is practically halting the development of cancer cells.
Furthermore, EGCG could also facilitate the recovery of damaged heart cells, and hence allowing fast healing of tissues and relieving organs injury.
In conclusion, green tea EGCG has big benefit in helping heart disease curbing as well as in heart attack damage healing. So for those who are suffering from heart disease and those who are health sensitive, green tea is the best option of beverage for them. Having few cups of green tea, primarily decaf green tea a day instead of decaffeinated coffee will definitely assure our long term health.